


Guarding the Princess

by Christy (wildchild)



Series: TtH 100 [5]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Merry Gentry - Laurell K Hamilton
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-12
Updated: 2015-08-25
Packaged: 2018-03-30 04:25:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 6,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3922816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildchild/pseuds/Christy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Faith finds herself becoming a part of Princess Meredith's guard. (Originally part of my Faith TtH100 prompt series, it's expanded beyond that)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Heal Thyself

Title: Heal Thyself  
Author: Christy  
Rating: FR 7  
TtH Prompt: #8 Illness  
Fandom/Theme: Angel/Meredith Gentry  
Wordcount: 100  
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters featured here. They belong to their respective creators and production companies.  
Distribution: NeverNormal.com and TtH  
Spoilers: None for Angel; Takes place after Mistral’s Kiss for Meredith  
Series: Guarding the Princess Pt 1  
A/N: This was written for the tth100. The only linking thing for these is Faith in them.  
Summary: Faith is sick.  
  
She groaned in pain. How could she deal with her duties feeling like this?  
  
“Galen, come on. You’re an earth deity. Can’t you help?” she whined. _I never whine. What’s wrong with me?_ she wondered, sneezing. She turned to Meredith.  
  
“How can I guard you if I’m sick? I need to be well to protect you,” Faith protested. It felt like she was already losing her mind with this cold.  
  
“The Princess will be fine,” Doyle replied.  
  
“I’ll give you a glamour, but that’s all. The moment you can’t perform your duties, by MY standards, you’ll come home.”  
  
“Yes, Princess.”


	2. Happy Birthday to Me

Title: Happy Birthday to Me  
Author: Christy  
Rating: FR 15  
TtH Prompt: #37 Birthday  
Fandom/Theme: Angel/Merry Gentry  
Word Count: 150  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from either the Buffyverse or Merry Gentry...just borrowing for a bit.  
Distribution: NeverNormal.com and TtH  
Spoilers: No spoilers for Angel; During A Lick of Frost for Merry Gentry  
Series: Guarding the Princess Pt 2  
A/N: This was written for the tth100. The only linking thing for these is Faith in them.   
Summary: Faith wants to find some information…on her birthday.  
  
Gareth whimpered as Faith hummed under her breath. Her eyes scanned the array of tools facing her before she picked one up, the metal glinting in the glare of the overhead bulb. She continued to hum as she tested the blade then walked towards him. Trying to delay the inevitable, he asked what she’d been humming. Faith merely made a cut along his torso, evincing a scream, before answering.  
  
“It’s _Happy Birthday_ ,” she said with a smile.  
  
That smile chilled him. It reminded him of Queen Andais. But this woman scared him more than even she. Why had he agreed to Taranis’s plan?  
  
“Come on, Gareth,” Faith chided with a backhand to his face. “You’ve gotta pay attention to me. Now, I’m gonna ask you again- where has he taken Meredith? Be a good elf and tell me or I’m gonna have to spend my whole birthday making you talk.”  
  
  
A/N: When I first wrote this, it was before ALOF came out...I SWEAR I didn't know what was going to happen in that book!


	3. Needing, Waiting, Wanting

Title: Needing, Waiting, Wanting  
Author: Christy  
Rating: FR 13  
TtH Prompt: #17 Air  
Fandom/Theme: Angel/Merry Gentry  
Word Count: 100  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from either the Buffyverse or Merry Gentry...just borrowing for a bit.  
Distribution: NeverNormal.com and TtH  
Spoilers: No spoilers for Angel; After Mistral’s Kiss for Merry Gentry  
Series: Guarding the Princess Pt 3  
A/N: This was written for the tth100. The only linking thing for these is Faith in them. The title is based off of Jack Johnson’s song “Sitting, Waiting, Watching”  
Summary: Some in the Unseelie Court don’t like Faith.  
  
She should have known better- Cel and his goons would pay her back for not helping him achieve his goals. But after having seen Angelus ravage through her world, Faith wasn’t about to let another psycho control her destiny. She may not be of traditional fairie stock, but the Goddess had assured Meredith that Faith was as much a part of the courts as Merry. Faith hoped Doyle got to Merry in time, since, for her refusal to help Cel was what led to her now starving for air as his guards pinned her down while Cel slowly strangled her.


	4. Power Still Remains

Title: Power Still Remains  
Author: Christy  
Rating: FR 15  
Fandom/Theme: Angel/Merry Gentry  
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters featured here. They belong to their respective creators and production companies.  
Distribution: NeverNormal, TtH, Ffnet  
Series: FFA Madness #23; Guarding the Princess #4  
FFA Pairing: Fred/Andais  
Spoilers: None   
Summary: The Queen finds someone else who is not from her realm originally.  
Author's Note: I'm really excited about my FFA collection now- think I'll end up having close to 70 stories here by the time I'm done...all these wonderful pairings that have my muses jumping up and down in excitement. You can also track my progress on this and my other stories at my Nevernormal blog, if you are so inclined.  
  
The soul who had once been housed in the body of Winifred Burkle still marveled at where she had ended up. She hadn't liked what her lab assistant back on her Earth had been planning- bringing a demonic godhead out from the Primordium? _What had Knox been thinking?_ she remembered muttering as her body had been wracked with fever and chills as Illyria burned her way through her -Fred's- body and Wesley could only sit there helplessly.  
  
 _Goddess help me! I didn't want this to happen! I've got so much more I want to do!_ she screamed out mentally, then was surprised when she felt a cool feminine hand on her forehead and a voice whispered in her ear “Daughter of Eve, you will have your just reward.” right before her body seized up from pain and everything went black.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
Even now as one of the Queen's maids, Fred, or Evergreen, as she was now known, she heard the gossip when the Queen had appointed her son Cel and niece Meredith as co-heirs until one of them had a child. Since the Goddess, in her infinite wisdom, had brought Evergreen to this world as a fae descendant of a fertility deity, she blended right in with the rest of the Unseelie court. She had met Cel a few times and hadn't cared for him at all; he reminded her too much of Angelus. Then she heard from the pixie Peasblossom that another girl had appeared at court and given fealty to Merry as one of her guards. She had also recently been proclaimed by Andais to have the _geas_ lifted for her and be allowed use of whichever of the guards she pleased, though Peas hadn't been quite sure why that had been. Fred was currently on her way to the Queen's chambers, but the fellow servant who'd informed her of the request hadn't known why.  
  
“Ah, Evergreen, do come in,” Andais spoke in a deceptively calm tone. Fred had experience with that kind of voice already. It was the same kind of insidious tone Angelus had had when he'd been taunting her, Wes and Gunn- the kind of voice that swirled around your ankles like fog and latched on with deadly perception.  
  
“Yes my Queen?” she asked, bowing as low as she could.  
  
“I remember how you once told me when my guards found you that you had another body- another name- from when you lived in your world- the one with vampires.”  
  
Fred bowed even lower, her knees on the cold stone and her face as far down as she could go. “Y-yes, you Majesty- I had the name of Winifred in that world,” she answered quietly, not daring to look up. She'd learned that from the other maids the first week after she'd been found. The rustle of stiff taffeta reached her ears as Andais stepped down from the dias her bed sat on and stalked towards her kneeling handmaiden. “And did you bring anyone else with you?” she asked calmly as she lifted Fred's chin so she could look in the younger girl's eyes.  
  
“No, My Queen. I was told by the Goddess that my soul wasn't dine and that I would be put to where I would be the most useful,” Fred responded.  
  
Andais pursed her lips in a way that showed she wasn't pleased with the answer. “And yet...” she began, lost in thought, then, remembering her audience, dismissed a bewildered Fred with a wave.


	5. A Part of Things

Title: A Part of Things  
Author: Christy  
Rating: FR 13  
TtH Prompt: #54 Goddess  
Fandom/Theme: Angel/Merry Gentry  
Word Count: 100  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from either the Buffyverse or Merry Gentry...just borrowing for a bit.  
Distribution: NeverNormal.com and TtH  
Spoilers: No spoilers for Angel; After Mistral’s Kiss for Merry Gentry  
Series: Guarding the Princess Pt 4  
A/N: This was written for the tth100. The only linking thing for these is Faith in them.  
Summary: The Goddess has her say about Faith.  
  
“She comes from Goddess knows where and you just accept her?” Cel railed.  
  
Andais looked at her son coldly. “When I have the Goddess herself telling me she is important for the rebirth of Fairie, she stays,” she stated frostily. Looking over to Meredith and her guard kneeling in front of her, Andais lit on the vibrating intensity of this Slayer. She would do well keeping her with the Unseelie.  
  
****  
  
The Queen’s words on her came back to Faith as she recovered. For what Cel’d tried, those of his guard involved were to be tortured at the Queen’s pleasure.


	6. Luck O'the Irish

Title: Luck o’the Irish  
Author: Christy  
Rating: FR 13  
TtH Prompt: #34 Luck  
Fandom/Theme: Angel/Merry Gentry  
Word Count: 200  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from either the Buffyverse or Merry Gentry...just borrowing for a bit.  
Distribution: NeverNormal.com and TtH  
Spoilers: No spoilers for Angel; After Mistral’s Kiss for Merry Gentry  
Series: Guarding the Princess Pt 5  
A/N: This was written for the tth100. The only linking thing for these is Faith in them.  
Summary: Faith finds out part of why she’s in Merry’s world.  
  
“I have to thank you, Doyle. I don’t think either would’ve survived without you.”  
  
Doyle inclined his head in acknowledgement. “We didn’t let the Queen know yet, but Meredith had a dream just before she was taken- the Goddess said we needed you both alive and fruitful.”  
  
“Wait- so I need to help more than just keeping her alive? You’re damn lucky I like you, Doyle, or I just might punch you for this.”  
  
“I don’t understand. You lead most of the guard to believe that, given the chance, you would have had quite a few of us.”  
  
“Yeah, but that’s for fucking. Makin’ babies is a totally different ballgame and something I’m not really used to. Besides, how do we really know that?”  
  
“Because you reacted to the ring when you touched Meredith’s hand earlier. That meant you were both fae and fertile. We had thought you had touched it earlier, but that the Goddess had insisted we help you.”  
  
“You guys put a lot of faith in this Goddess concept, don’t ya?”  
  
“It isn’t merely a concept, but an actual being- Danu- who left us many centuries ago. Rhys is one of the only who remembers that time.”


	7. Dream Come True

Title: Dream Come True  
Author: Christy  
Rating: FR 18  
TtH Prompt: #47 Fantasies  
Fandom/Theme: Angel/Merry Gentry  
Word Count: 150  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from either the Buffyverse or Merry Gentry...just borrowing for a bit.  
Distribution: NeverNormal.com and TtH  
Spoilers: No spoilers for Angel; After Mistral’s Kiss for Merry Gentry  
Series: Guarding the Princess Pt 6  
A/N: This was written for the tth100. The only linking thing for these is Faith in them.  
Summary: Faith enjoys the lifting of the _geas_ for her.  
  
If she’d ever thought her fantasy of having Frost in her bed could happen, she probably would’ve wanted it sooner. They had talked to Andais and she’d lifted the _geas_ for Faith, though Cel had NOT been thrilled.  
  
Frost brought her attention back to him by pulling her legs over his head, the better to eat her out. She grabbed fistfuls of his tinsel bright hair to hold on to while his tongue continued such an oral assault that she was soon near screaming.  
  
“More. I need more,” she gasped as he slid his way back up and hovered over her, all his weight supported by his arms.  
  
He grinned playfully as he teased her slit with his hardness. She moaned in frustration and arched up against him. “Quit fuckin’ teasing me and fuck me, Frost,” she ground out.  
  
He answered her demand by gripping her hips and thrusting home.


	8. Want It Hard Enough

Title: Want It Hard Enough  
Author: Christy  
Rating: FR 15  
TtH Prompt: #84 Wish  
Fandom/Theme: Angel/Merry Gentry  
Word Count: 200  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from either the Buffyverse or Merry Gentry...just borrowing for a bit.  
Distribution: NeverNormal.com and TtH  
Spoilers: No spoilers for Angel; After Mistral’s Kiss for Merry Gentry  
Series: Guarding the Princess Pt 7  
A/N: This was written for the tth100. The only linking thing for these is Faith in them.  
Summary: Faith meets the Goddess Herself.  
  
She knew she was dreaming, but trusted Meredith that she wouldn’t freak out. “She is a great help to me, as are you Faith,” said a voice behind her.  
  
The Slayer spun around to see a cloaked woman, but the harder she tried to see the woman’s face, the harder it seemed to pin down. “Doyle told me about you- you gave them back their powers.”  
  
The woman chuckled. “Not exactly- I gave them the way to retrieve what they’d lost. Much like yourself.”  
  
“What are you talking about?”  
  
“Back in your world, you called to the Powers. You wanted to know why they’d helped you change only to let the world be overrun by Angelus.”  
  
“I begged them to grant my wish and make it where I could help save the world,” Faith clarified.  
  
“So I brought you here to a world that needs you more than yours did. This world needs saving- my children are dying off.”  
  
“So you work for the Powers?”  
  
“No, child- I AM the Powers. That is one of the names I am known by.”  
  
“So you saved me from death in my world to bring life to this one? I’ll try my best.”


	9. Thrown in the Deep End

Title: Thrown in the Deep End  
Author: Christy  
Rating: FR15  
Disclaimer: I do not own Angel or the Meredith Gentry series- Angel belongs to Joss Whedon and Merry and her gang belong to the great Laurell K. Hamilton  
Genre: Gen / AU  
Fandoms: Angel/Merry Gentry  
Word Count: 300  
Timeline: After Home for Angel; After Swallowing Darkness for Merry Gentry  
Written For: twistedshorts Fic #2  
Author's Note: While this seires was started for the TtH 100, I found it worked out for the twistedshorts challenge as well  
Summary: Faith tries to grapple with her place in this other world, surrounded by the Unseelie Fae.  
  
Faith ran her hand up and down his bare arm.  She never got tired of it, or the feeling of his soft tinsel colored hair wrapped around her body.    
  
"I'm just so glad you made it back safe," she murmured softly.  
  
Frost turned to face her on the lounger. "You've gotten mellower since I came back.  The Princess always had Doyle and Galen for herself, but you, you never seemed to favor any one guard," he said with a smile.  
  
Faith couldn't help but smile back in return. "You know it's not just that.  I was as devestated as everyone else when the true extent of Prince Cal's treachery came to light.  It felt almost like the day in my world when I realized that Angelus had been masquerading as Angel for months- just waiting until we were all complacent and relaxed to reveal he'd been working for Wolfram and Hart the whole time," she explained, tears rolling down her cheeks as she remembered the days leading up to the end and her desperate plea for help.  
  
"Oh, Mo Ghrá, don't cry.  I can handle a lot from a woman, but not tears.  And the babies don't like it either," he cautioned, drawing her onto his lap.  
  
Faith chuckled through her tears. "I've become a regular water fountain since I got pregnant.  Whatever happened to the damn tough as nails Slayer I used to be?"  
  
"She found out she was going to be a mother," Queen Meredith said with a grin as she walked out onto the deck.  Her hands were held protectively over her stomach in a mirror of Faith's current posture.  
  
"Merry, what did the doctors have to say?"  
  
"That our twins will both be happy, healthy and prosperous.  I don't think I could ask for anything better."


	10. Find A Savior

Title: Find a Savior  
Author: Christy  
Rating: FR 18  
Fandom/Theme: Angel/Merry Gentry  
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters featured here. They belong to their respective creators and production companies.  
Distribution: NeverNormal, TtH, Ffnet  
Series: FFA Madness #19; Guarding the Princess #10  
FFA Pairing: Giles/Merry  
Spoilers: None   
Summary: Someone else from Faith's world shows up in LA  
Author's Note: I'm really excited about my FFA collection now- think I'll end up having close to 70 stories here by the time I'm done...all these wonderful pairings that have my muses jumping up and down in excitement. You can also track my progress on this and my other stories at my Nevernormal.com blog, if you are so inclined.  
  
It had started out as a rather quiet day- Merry and Faith had the twins and Faith and Frost's daughter learning how to recognize good auras from bad when there was a sound like a thunderclap and a body fell into the pool from an opening in the sky with a splash. Doyle and Frost immediately went to shield the women and children while Galen dove in and fished the unconscious man out onto the grass. At first glance, Galen grew concerned at the bruises and cuts that liberally peppered the older man. Doyle was trying to keep Merry and Faith back until the latter peeked around his side and screamed in horror. Pushing the taller man to the side, Faith ran towards her friend laying on the grass. Falling to her knees. She leaned over the body, sobbing brokenly. “Giles! Goddess help him!”  
  
“You know him?” Meredith asked, still holding back with the toddlers.   
  
Faith looked up, tears streaming down her face. “He's a Watcher from my world- he trained the Slayer before me.”  
  
Frost went over and laid a hand on her shoulder. “He's in bad shape- we should get a healer here to look him over first,” he said, communicating for a moment with Doyle in that silent way the Guards all had, and understanding what his slight nod meant.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
The memories of the many months surrounded by Angelus's varied tortures had Rupert quickly sensing that someone else in the room when he woke.  
  
“I know you're awake, Mr Giles. Not to worry, however- I swear by the Darkness that Eats All Things that you are safe here in this room at this present time,” a voice reassured him.  
  
He opened his eyes to find himself in a simply appointed bedroom, while a young lady with dark red hair sat in an armchair off to the side while a man with silver hair stood guard beside her. Licking his lips and thinking carefully before answering, he said “May I assume then, that my hope to flee the atrocities of Angelus was successful?”  
  
The woman glanced askance at the man who nodded before turning to Giles. “Yes, we were told about Angelus and yes, you are no longer in need of concern from him. My name is Queen Meredith, Queen of the Unseelie, but you might know us better by our older name- the Sidhe. Might you care to tell us what happened and how you came to us from your world?”  
  
Rupert leaned his head back against the pillows and closed his eyes as a tear leaked out. In a soft voice, he began to retell the horrors of Angelus's reign. “We didn't know he had come back until Faith went to LA to see if he needed more help against Wolfram and Hart. He came to us in Cleveland a few weeks later, telling us Faith had been taken, presumed killed by a demon clan that had gotten rather angry about the sudden influx of Slayers, which was something we had known about as well and had been trying to stop. And then we had a rash of disappearing and Turned Slayers- which is a very bad thing to happen because the Slayer essence, though generally neutral, has an affinity and attraction for the demon that inhabits a vampire's body. Now, we initially thought it was merely the Powers That Be punishing us for Willow using the activation spell and overbalancing things to the side of Good. But then Kennedy broke up with Willow and Willow became rather depressed because of it. I was thankful that the vampire I thought was still Angel volunteered to talk to her since Buffy and myself were busy dealing with the Turned Slayers. By the time I realized Angelus had twisted her mind around until she would do anything he asked- she hadn't gone Dark again, per se, but Angelus had introduced her to dark S&M games in their time together. Angelus played up her loyalty to him so much that by the time Buffy and I came back from a conference in London with the rest of the Council that we walked into an ambush,” he continued, thanking Frost when that one brought him a cup of water to drink, since Giles arms were in casts. Opening his eyes, he stared at the two Fae. “All that he or Willow could convince to help with the lie that Buffy and myself were behind the Slayers being turned, well, they were all waiting for us when we returned to Cleveland.”  
  
“Well, what about the those that didn't believe the lie?” Merry asked.  
  
Rupert shrugged. “I don't honestly know. All I know is we were quickly subdued, taken to the basement where we usually held dangerous demons we'd captured but hadn't found out how to slay just yet. Then, to make matters worse, Angelus had found the formula for the serum that the old Council had used on Buffy once before, taking away most of her supernatural strength. H-He then alternated between days of torturing me and days of torturing her. Sometimes he would do it in another room and I could hear her screams echo. Other times, he'd torture us in front of each other, whipping her until her back was bruised and bloody, then slice me with razor sharp knives so I wouldn't feel the sting until the wounds started to bleed. But the worst day was the one where he took her down from her chains, raped her repeatedly in front of me then drained her before taking her body with him. I didn't realize the true horror of what he'd done until he showed up a couple of days later, Queen Slayer in tow. He hadn't killed her, he'd turned her and made her his own personal plaything.  
  
But I had a secret weapon- Dawn. While the monks had sent her to Buffy to keep her safe, there was an unusual clause that happened when Buffy was Turned- since she could no longer protect her little sister, the spell made her forget Dawn existed as well as anyone else that would cause her harm. We'd left her in England as a safety precaution, but when she hadn't heard from us in a month's time, she flew back, armed to the teeth and tracked me down in the dungeons, recovering from a dual torture session from the both of them. She had apparently walked right past her sister and Buffy hadn't even noticed. That's when she told me she knew how to help save me and sliced her wrist before starting to chant in Latin. The next thing I knew, I was falling towards water.”  
  
Merry and Frost glanced at each other for a moment before turning back to Rupert. “How would you like to meet someone else we rescued from your world? I know Faith was worried about you.”


	11. Homecoming

Title: Homecoming  
Author: Christy  
Rating: FR 15  
Fandom/Theme: Angel/Merry Gentry  
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters featured here. They belong to their respective creators and production companies.  
Distribution: NeverNormal, TtH, Ffnet  
Series: FFA Madness #23; Guarding the Princess #11  
FFA Pairing: Faith/Andais  
Spoilers: None   
Summary: Andais has some questions for Faith and Meredith  
Author's Note: I'm really excited about my FFA collection now- think I'll end up having close to 70 stories here by the time I'm done...all these wonderful pairings that have my muses jumping up and down in excitement. You can also track my progress on this and my other stories at my Nevernormal blog, if you are so inclined.  
  
Faith had had her hands full the past few months between her little girl and helping Giles recuperate. So when Doyle notified her that Andais had requested a personal meeting, she'd told Frost she didn't think she could handle it right now. That had been a hard thing to adjust to- telling people she cared about what was really bothering her instead of bottling it up until she exploded like she used to do. Her husband had reassured her the rest of the guard would look after Princess Cordelia while Mom and Dad went to go visit the nasty Queen.  
  
*****  
  
Both were mildly surprised when the _sithen_ lead them towards Andais's personal chambers rather than the throne room, but ever since Meredith had awoken the _sithen_ when the magic began returning to the Unseelie, Faith hadn't questioned a single thing the faery mound decided to do. When the doors opened, the couple immediately bowed into the deepest bows they could, which for Faith wasn't that easy, considering her balance was rather off these days, what with the pregnancy she and Frost had just found out about the week before.  
  
“Apparently, my subjects have as much good news for me this day as I do for them,” Andias greeted them with a cat who found the cream kind of voice. This put both of them on edge, so Frost simply acknowledged that “Yes, my Queen, we are expecting again.”  
  
“Wonderful. Blessings from the Goddess abound. Evergreen, come greet your kinswoman,” the Queen said with a good bit of glee, if Faith was any judge of her mood.  
  
A slight woman of mixed heritage, judging by her pointed ears, came out of the alcove hesitantly, then, catching sight of Faith, abandoned all sense of decorum and ran to her, crying out “Faith! I thought I was the only one here,” in a surprisingly rich Texas accent.  
  
Faith shook her head in bewildered surprise, coming up from her curtsey in enough time to catch the fae and a moment longer to process what she had just said. “Wait a sec- Fred? Angelus, er, Angel, told me you'd died when Illyria took over,” she blurted out.  
  
“Oh, ah know. The Goddess Herself answered my plea to not waste away because of what Knox had done and gave me a new body and life here as a handmaid to Queen Andais,” Fred explained in a rush.  
  
Faith glanced over to Andais, leery of this rush of sudden good fortune. “What else would you have of us, my Queen?” she asked, being careful to keep her anger at being manipulated again out of her voice and off of her face.  
  
Andais smiled thinly. “Your newest addition from your world as well, he is a researcher, is he not?”  
  
“Yes, my Queen. He was my Watcher in Sunnydale,” Faith responded, confusion furrowing her brow.  
  
“Excellent! I have need of his services for a time, if you can spare him to us.”  
  
Frost winced in sympathy at Faith's startled reaction. “We would, Queen Andais, but he is still recovering from his injuries.”  
  
“Very well. Notify me when he is healed. As for Evergreen, I am sure she would be wonderful with the children,” Andais insisted with a wave to dismiss them.


	12. Atonement

Title: Atonement  
Author: Christy  
Rating: FR 15  
Fandom/Theme: Buffy/Merry Gentry  
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters featured here. They belong to their respective creators and production companies.  
Distribution: NeverNormal, TtH, AO3  
Series: FFA Madness #37; Guarding the Princess #12  
FFA Pairing: Buffy/Merry Gentry  
Spoilers: None   
Summary: Another member of the Scooby Gang manages to escape

Buffy hadn’t expected any other reception than the one she currently had - weapons, spells, guns - all aimed in her direction. She merely stood there as the mages studied her. She could sense her sister Slayer somewhere in the complex, but not exactly where. Her chest ached when she thought of all the harm she’d caused to those she loved. _So this is what Angel went through for all those years,_ she thought. _It’s a wonder he didn’t go crazy._  
“What business do you have here, demon?” demanded a silver haired far leveling a Browning 1911 at her head.  
Putting her hands further up in the air, she called out “People who know who my little sister is and what she can do with an Orb of Thesulah without needing the ritual and the fact that I’m talking about Dawn at all.” Her statement was clear enough to echo through the courtyard as Frost exchanged a look with Doyle.  
“How should we best verify this?” he asked.  
Doyle smirked. “We let Meredith talk to her - in the Rose Garden. The _sithen_ is well enough that should she wish any of us harm, the roses will do their job.”

*****

Buffy marveled at the sheer variety of the roses, but also noticed the vines kept close to her as she walked toward Queen Meredith, flanked by Sholto and Rhys, while Doyle and Frost followed herself. For not being much more than her own height, the Queen of that Which Walks Between had a very forbidding, untouchable air about her. Literally enthroned amongst the roses, Merry simply studied Buffy as the latter curtsied.  
“My guards tell me you showed up in the entrance to the _sithen_ in a flash of green light. Would you care to elaborate on that?”  
Buffy shrugged, still a bit unsure herself. “My sister, Dawn, is the Key. She can use her blood to create portals and anchor them if needed. But, part of the spell that sent her to me to protect meant that those that wished her harm would forget who she was if they’d known before.”  
Merry merely raised a brow and motioned the vampire to continue. “At much risk to herself, since the letter of the spell that created her as my sister meant Willow and Xander might still know who she was, managed to find an Orb in Giles’ belongings and cursed me with a soul before sending me here.”  
“And your sister?”  
“With all possible guardians in our world gone, she, she dissolved back into the ether,” Buffy explained, a tear rolling down her cheek.  
Meredith glanced amongst her men for a moment, deep in thought. “There are no vampires such as you in this world,” she reminded the blonde.  
Buffy shrugged, resigned. “Just put me where you need me. I don’t know why Dawn didn’t leave me there...hell, I don’t even know why she wanted to send me here, if there aren’t any vampires, though I kinda have an idea. But, I’m strong and can help out wherever you might need it.”  
“This is something that needs a bit more time and discussion between myself and those I trust. We will find you accommodations for the night and make our decision after that.”


	13. Darkness Replaced

Title: Darkness Replaced  
Author: Christy  
Rating: FR 15  
Fandom/Theme: Buffy/Merry Gentry  
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters featured here. They belong to their respective creators and production companies.  
Distribution: NeverNormal, TtH, AO3  
Series: FFA Madness #39; Guarding the Princess #13  
FFA Pairing: Buffy/Queen Andais  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Buffy explains things to the Queen of the Unseelie.

Merry and Faith had tried to give Buffy a crash course in Fae etiquette, but Faith knew there was a very good chance her former Sister Slayer only took in every other word thrown at her. With that in mind, Faith had advised Frost to keep close to Buffy with both Winter’s Kiss and a stake. It wasn’t much, but when Andais called for an audience not two days after Buffy appeared; well, the consensus was that it could quickly turn into something akin to Meredith’s initial return. However, Doyle had bargained that once Buffy had been Challenged by any of the offended Unseelie, the as yet unspoken factor of the blonde being a vampire could work in her favor.

*****

Buffy had been surprised when Meredith had arrived to help her get ready, tunic, vest and leather pants in hand. “I thought you wanted me going as one of your guards,” she asked as Merry briskly laid out the black and white attire.  
“Normally, yes, but for this initial introduction, we’re trying to present you as a warrior equal, not a princess or female of noble birth. It’s a distinct difference that I don’t have time to explain to you in more detail,” the Sidhe explained with a slight wince. “All I can say is to just trust me. Faith is a good friend and you've proved yourself Sister of her heart. I have your best interests in mind; I promise.”

*****

Buffy fidgeted from one foot to the other as Meredith, Faith and the rest of their entourage bowed obsequiously in front of Andais and took their places on the heir’s dais after she acknowledged them. Doyle stood at her side, a dark shadow waiting to introduce her to the Queen of Air and Darkness.  
“I have heard, Meredith, that another from the Slayer’s land has managed to find her way to our court.”  
“Yes, my Queen, she has. If it would please you, I would introduce you to Lady Summers, another known warrior in her own land,” Merry said with her usual courtly manners.  
Andais inclined her head minutely in acknowledgment and motioned to where Doyle and Buffy waited in the entryway. The blonde was barely through the doorway when Merry watched as she seemed to trip and tumbled, ending up in a crouch, knives in hand, eyes sweeping back and forth across the room.  
“I see that some in my court have not learned from previous errors that to harm someone I have invited to my court and given reasonable assurances of safety would attempt to injure while here is a poor decision.” Andais’s cold tone cut through the room like ice. “Oh, Meredith, you have brought me a wondrous warrior. Her expertise should be a welcome addition to this court,” the Queen continued.  
Buffy, true to form at not remembering when it was best to shut up, said “Well, yeah, that, and vampire reflexes don’t hurt either,” and shrugged as she stood up.  
A murmur ran through the room as Andais motioned Doyle and Buffy closer. Just then, one of the nobles, Cadawg, stood up, fury evident in his stance. “My Queen, you cannot countenance bringing demonspawn into our Court!” he declared moments before a blonde blur rushed across the room and steel was up against his neck. Buffy hadn’t even vamped out.  
“Look here, buddy, and listen good,” she hissed. “I may have been turned, but I had my soul anchored with Key energy. I’ve also been a Slayer, and if you’d been paying attention to Faith over there at all, you’d know what a threat we can be.”  
Sheathing her dagger, she went to walk back over towards Merry and the Queen, but halted at Cadawg’s next sneered question. “My Queen, you would let a mongrel dare challenge me in open court?”  
Andais seemed to mull that over for a moment before standing up and walking down from her dais, heading toward Buffy, whose back was still towards most of the court. Placing a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder, she instead addressed Cadawg. “That would be true, except that one cannot challenge one of the Royal Guard. If that were true, I am sure my warriors would faint from the strain of constant challenge.”  
Cadawg could only sputter. “You would announce a mongrel as guard?”  
The Queen grew thunderous. “Some here have forgotten who is Queen here! Cadawg, deliver yourself to the Hallway of Mortality at once!” Turning back around, she tucked Buffy’s hand into the crook of her elbow and leaned in close.  
“As my niece learned early in life, no one in this court is here to be your friend. Always be on your guard when you are at my Court,” she advised before leading Buffy to her seat and commencing the banquet for the rest of the gathered Unseelie.


End file.
